What To Wear

Clothing can make or break your portrait. You put a lot of planning, effort, and money into your portrait - be sure to spend some time thinking about your clothing choices.

The best advice is:

Our best suggestion is to schedule a free consultation in our studio. We will listen to your ideas and offer our suggestions, based on a lot of experience and training, but ultimately, it's your Portrait, and the look you choose is always your decision. There is no right or wrong style for Portraits - it's fun to break the rules sometimes- but it's also good to at least be aware of the "rules". Most rules exist for a reason!

What to wear for Portraits?

Think timeless! Unless you are going for a certain look, or making a certain statement, the best clothing style for a portrait, especially a family portrait, is one that won't be out-of-date in a few years. Simple classic styles that stand the test of time are best for your portrait. Remember that the emphasis of the Portrait is you, the subject.

The first thing you see in a portrait should be the face of the subjects. Attention-getting clothing will distract from your face.

Specifics:

Avoid Busy! Anything that attracts attention away from the face is usually a bad idea. The worst thing is writing. A lot of clothing today, particularly children's and youth clothing, has logos, words, cute sayings, etc. The eye is naturally attracted to writing because we want to know what it says - don't wear anything with writing unless you have a specific reason!

Unless you're Scottish, you probably should avoid plaids. Likewise, stripes and other bold patterns. Horizontal stripes will make you look heavier. If you must wear patterns, they should be small and subtle.

Avoid bright colors for the same reason. They will distract from the face.

Best colors: Medium to dark solids are best for most people. Very subtle patterns can work but the important word is subtle!

White and Black are special cases. In a formal Portrait, men and women may wear a white shirt/blouse with a suit or jacket, but not alone. In other Portraits, white and black work best when they are used to give a certain style or look to the overall image, such as "high-key" portraits where everyone wears all white with a very light or white background. White shirts can also look good with faded denim. Black is very stylish when done right and can add drama and character to a portrait. If you are planning white or black in your portrait, we suggest a consultation.

Children:

Clothes that fit! The smaller the child, the more important it is that the clothes fit well or even a little snug. We all buy clothes they can "grow into", but in a portrait, these outfits will look sloppy. Kids are cute all by themselves. Avoid "cute" appliqués on clothing; Barbie˜ and Elmo˜ aren't as cute as your child! Assume that shoes will show in at least some of the poses. Huge bright sneakers with flashing lights are also distracting.

Families:

A consultation is highly recommended! It's not necessary to wear matching uniforms, but everyone's clothes must harmonize with each other. We suggest you lay everyone's outfit out on the bed or the floor and step back and look at them. If one item draws your attention over everything else, replace it. Clothes should not only blend in color and tone, but also in style. If one wears a suit and tie and everyone else is in polos and khakis, it won't look right.

Important Extras:

When you pick outfits, don't forget extras. Shoes, sock or stockings, jewelry, belts and accessories are all part of the look!

Next...